Here is a small but growing collection of videos that I hope you will take the time to watch. Among all the wonderfully creative short videos being produced these days, the ones I've selected for inclusion in my site are those that beautifully and poignantly express the beliefs, dreams, and difficult realities that also underpin my own work.

Videos Featuring Margaret Wheatley

Resilience Through Compassion and Connection with His Holiness the Dalai LamaMeg was invited to be in a public conversation with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Orleans on May 17, 2013. The theme was "Resilience through Compassion and Connection." The event was sponsored by Tulane University and, because of her work in New Orleans post-Katrina, she was invited to speak about the power of community in times of difficulty.

Video with Meg Wheatley for I-Open.org
Meg Wheatley presented "The Gift Economy" seminar November 1, 2013 at the River's Edge Cleveland in Rocky River, Ohio. Includes transcript, slideshow, and more.

2012 Smart Start Conference
Meg Wheatley answers questions about leadership in this interview filmed at the 2012 National Smart Start Conference for early childhood educators.

Eight Fearless Questions
This brief video is excerpted from Meg Wheatley's DVD entitled Eight Fearless Questions. In the DVD, Dr. Wheatley explores eight questions designed to help you develop clarity about your work and the contribution you want to offer at this troubled time.

Videos by Others

Alive Inside: A Story Of Music & MemoryThis is one of the most moving films I've ever seen--people reawakened from the dark, lost depths of Alzheimers by hearing the music they loved in their earlier years. A moving, inspiring tribute to the human spirit. This is the trailer, but you can also watched the full movie on YouTube.

Ursula LeGuin: The Ones Who Walk Away from OmelasUrsula K. Le Guin who's written many books of fiction, mainly science fiction that is truly magical, from a deep spirituality, accepts the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the 65th National Book Awards on November 19, 2014. .She identifies that the writers task is to withstand the pressures of corporate sales and marketing greed, and instead to bring their readers to a remembrance of freedom. "The name of our beautiful reward (as writers) is not profit. It's name is freedom." Her work can be found here: www.ursulakleguin.com

Here's a short quote from one of her books:
Ursula Le Guin, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.
It is from a collection of short stories entitled The Wind’s Twelve Quarters.

The people of Omelas know that their happiness is achieved at the expense of the immense suffering of a single child. This, they are told, is part of a greater plan and they should feel no guilt. The suffering of the child, which makes the perfect life in Omelas possible, is the “terrible justice of reality”.

There are some, however, who go to see the child and do not go home again. They keep on walking, out of the city of happiness, through the fields and away from Omelas.

The Making of the Waterman
Possibly the most inspiring video here; watch it whenever you need a hearty dose of inspiration. The decades of work led by Rajendra Singh in Rajastan India to bring water back to villages using ancient ways, community spirit and sound ecology. Over 28 years, 7 entire river systems, previously dried up for 80 years, were revived. Over 10,000 Johads (small earthen dams) were built by the villagers at strategic places. Underground aquifers were recharged, rivers began to flow again and food supplies were secured helping those villages to become thriving communities again. Now the project is being replicated across India.

This is a visually beautiful film as well; the story embodies Berkana's approach to working with the wisdom, wealth and environment of local communities. (The work described here was not part of Berkana, just an outstanding example of our core approach.)

The Danger of a Single StoryOur lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding. I also heartily recommend her novel Americanah for the most perceptive, funny and direct exploration of what it means to be black in America (and life in current day Nigeria also).http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en

We Need to Talk About Ted
A brilliant and brave critique of how the form of Ted talks is reducing important information to an entertaining presentation. Science, philosophy, technology and descriptions of experience are now run on the model of American Idol, entertaining yes, descriptive of the complexities, no. What's brave about this critique is that he presents it as a TED talk.
(I understand the irony of listing this video right below a recommended TED talk.)http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/30/we-need-to-talk-about-ted

The Collapse of Complex SocietiesDr. Joseph Tainter, Anthropologist, Sociologist. Dr. Tainter has done the seminal research on the pattern of collapse in complex civilizations. The pattern of their rise and fall is the same throughout human history independent of culture or place. I have the greatest respect for his scholarship and personally have found it a relief to see the pattern laid out so clearly. If you are intrigued to understand this pattern, also read: A Short History of Progress by Ronald Wright, an extraordinary book, one of my favorites.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddmQhIiVM48&list=PL7D613ABAE66E3452

Schooling the WorldThis movie accurately portrays how white colonialists, then and now, have used schooling to train children from various cultures to be like white people. It's devastating but historically accurate; and still going on with Native American and Australian Aboriginal children. A phrase that was used is: "Kill the Indian. Save the Child."http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/schooling_the_world_2010/

The Most Astounding Fact (Neil deGrasse Tyson)
Just to keep things in perspective.
Astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson was asked by a reader of TIME magazine, "What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?" This is his answer.

Learning Journey to Detroit
Enjoy these two excellent videos by Filiz Telek, which emerged from the October 2012 Detroit Learning Journey.

Tree of Life
A powerful short video on the Tree of Life -- a social healing process in Zimbabwe for victims of torture and tragedy using circle practice.

Warriors Without Weapons
This moving video is about "Warriors Without Weapons," an initiative begun in Brazil that has now travelled to other countries. The Berkana Institute has partnered with its creators, and participated in the event filmed here. We continue to explore the places and people who would benefit from this playful, purposeful approach to creating physical changes in communities devastated by poverty and neglect. Go to http://walkoutwalkon.net/brazil/ for more info.

Blood Into Gold
Musician Peter Buffett, perfoming "Blood into Gold" with Akon. A powerful lyric and video about human trafficking, one of the three largest businesses in the world these days (the other two are drugs and armaments). Peter is the son of Warren Buffett. He also performed this song live with Akon at the United Nations in May: http://www.peterbuffett.com/video/vlog.html.

The Girl Effect
A witty and innovative description of why we need to support women and girls to change the world.
From http://girleffect.org.